Sourcing & Inventory Buyer

Dahl Consulting; Minnesota; On-site; USD 39,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

Dahl Consulting is seeking a Sourcing & Inventory Buyer for a contract-to-hire role at our Ham Lake, MN facility. You will manage material availability, supplier relationships, and inventory accuracy to support production and new projects, balancing cost, flow, and service.

You will own inbound logistics, supplier negotiations, and cross-functional collaboration with Operations, Finance, and Sales to ensure on-time delivery and optimal material flow.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in sourcing, purchasing, or supply chain, preferably within a manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated experience with supplier negotiation and cost management.
• ERP proficiency with strong data discipline and accuracy.

Responsibilities

• Execute supply chain strategies, sourcing, and purchasing activities.
• Identify, qualify, and onboard suppliers to support growth and mitigate risk.
• Establish and manage primary and secondary vendors.
• Lead supplier negotiations for cost, quality, and lead times.
• Evaluate supplier performance across cost, quality, delivery, and compliance.

Skills

Sourcing

Purchasing

Supplier Negotiation

Inventory Management

ERP proficiency

Tools

ERP software

Job description

Job Description

Job Description
Title: Sourcing & Inventory Buyer
Location: Ham Lake, MN
Job Type: Contract-to-Hire (6 Month contract period)
Compensation: $28.00 - $36.00/hr
Industry: Manufacturing
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About the Role

We are partnering with a well-established custom manufacturing company to fill a Sourcing & Inventory Buyer position at their Ham Lake, MN facility. With 45 years in business, our client specializes in custom sewn products for the medical device and Department of Defense markets, where quality and precision are paramount.
The Sourcing & Inventory Buyer is a critical position responsible for material availability, supplier management, inventory accuracy, and sourcing support across ongoing production and new projects. This role serves as a single point of accountability for how materials move from supplier to production to customer while balancing cost, flow, and service.
Job Description
The Sourcing & Inventory Buyer supports the company's materials and fulfillment operations from supplier sourcing through customer delivery, ensuring materials and services are available at the right cost, quality, and timing to support production, on-time delivery, and business growth. Key areas of responsibility include:

Sourcing & Procurement

• Execute supply chain strategies, sourcing, and purchasing activities.
• Identify, qualify, and onboard suppliers to support growth and mitigate risk.
• Establish and manage primary and secondary vendors.
• Lead supplier negotiations for cost, quality, and lead times.
• Evaluate supplier performance across cost, quality, delivery, and compliance.
• Support sourcing for new product development and customer programs.
• Own supplier relationships and maintain ongoing communication.
• Monitor material pricing trends and drive cost optimization.

Inbound Logistics

• Ensure materials are received, organized, and flow effectively to the production floor.
• Support receiving, inspection, and material intake processes.
• Coordinate supplier deliveries and inbound scheduling.
• Ensure materials are staged and allocated to the floor (including water spider responsibilities).
• Improve material flow from receiving to production.
• Resolve inbound issues such as late deliveries, shortages, and quality concerns.

Inventory Management

• Confirm raw material, WIP, and finished goods inventory before placing reorders.
• Maintain stocking strategies, including min/max, safety stock, and reorder points.
• Balance supply with demand to avoid shortages and excess.
• Monitor physical storage capacity, ensuring inventory levels and layouts align with available space.
• Escalate and assist with storage, staging, and material flow to reduce congestion and improve floor efficiency.
• Ensure inventory data accuracy within the ERP system.
• Partner with Operations to align inventory with production needs.

Customer Delivery & Service

• Support on-time delivery performance.
• Identify and resolve delivery- or material-related issues.
• Provide visibility into risks, delays, and constraints.
• Support a strong, consistent customer experience.
• Partner with Sales and Operations to meet customer expectations.

Cross-Functional Responsibilities

• Translate production schedules into material requirements and ensure materials are available ahead of production start.
• Identify risks early (lead times, constraints) and mitigate proactively to reduce reliance on expediting.
• Identify cost-out opportunities and track/report on supplier performance, on-time delivery, inventory levels and turns, and material cost trends.
• Support job costing accuracy and margin improvement.
• Maintain a digital sourcing library and ensure compliance with QMS / ISO requirements.
• Collaborate with Finance on budget alignment, cash flow and payment timing, and inventory vs. working capital trade-offs.
• Support the Materials Handler and Shipping & Receiving functions with clear, high-priority communication and accountability.
• Perform miscellaneous projects and additional tasks as requested by management.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience in sourcing, purchasing, or supply chain, preferably within a manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated experience with supplier negotiation and cost management.
• ERP proficiency with strong data discipline and accuracy.
• Strong problem